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In Elden Ring, runes serve as the cornerstone of character progression and gameplay customization. These essential resources act as both experience points and currency, influencing everything from leveling up your character to enhancing your arsenal of weapons. Understanding how Elden Ring runes affect your weapon upgrades can help you make smarter decisions when managing your resources and pursuing specific build paths. This article explores the relationship between runes and weapon enhancement, giving you the insights needed to optimize your gear and performance.
While Elden Ring runes are not directly consumed during the weapon upgrading process itself, they play a vital supporting role in making those upgrades possible. To upgrade your weapons, you must:
Obtain the right upgrade materials – These include Elden Ring items like Smithing Stones and Somber Smithing Stones.
Visit a blacksmith – Specifically, Smithing Master Hewg at Roundtable Hold, or other smithing benches scattered across the Lands Between.
Pay a rune cost – Every weapon upgrade requires you to spend a specific number of runes in addition to having the necessary materials.
The rune cost increases as the weapon’s upgrade level rises. For example, upgrading a basic weapon from +1 to +2 may only cost a few hundred runes, but progressing to +8 or +9 can cost tens of thousands per level. This makes rune farming a key activity if you want to consistently improve your equipment.
Upgrading weapons directly increases their damage output, making encounters more manageable and enemies easier to defeat. Each upgrade significantly enhances the weapon’s base stats and scaling. This is especially important when your build relies on scaling effects, such as Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith.
Since higher-tier weapons often require rare materials and more runes, players must balance their rune spending between leveling up and upgrading gear. Investing heavily in weapon upgrades early on may give you an advantage in combat but could delay your character's stat progression.
One of the biggest decisions in Elden Ring is how to divide your rune earnings. Should you use them to raise your stats, or enhance your weapons? Both options offer benefits:
Leveling up increases your core stats, such as Vigor, Endurance, or Strength, which are essential for survivability and meeting weapon requirements.
Upgrading weapons boosts your damage significantly, often offering more immediate benefits in combat effectiveness.
If you're using a heavy Strength-based weapon, upgrading it can greatly increase your raw damage, especially when paired with the right scaling. On the other hand, if you're relying on casting spells or incantations, leveling up Mind or Faith might take priority early on, while upgrading staves or seals comes later.
To make the most of your Elden Ring runes, it's important to also gather the necessary Elden Ring items used in the upgrade process:
| Item Type | Purpose | Common Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Smithing Stones | Upgrade standard weapons | Caves, tunnels, and purchased from NPCs |
| Somber Smithing Stones | Upgrade special/unique weapons | Found in high-level areas or purchased |
| Bell Bearings | Unlock stone purchases at Roundtable Hold | Dropped by specific enemies or bosses |
| Gloveworts (for Ashes) | Upgrade Spirit Ashes (not weapons) | Catacombs and dungeons |
These materials, paired with enough runes, allow you to push your weapon to the next level. Keep in mind that different weapon types require different upgrade paths and resources.
To ensure you have enough Elden Ring runes for your upgrades, here are some tips:
Farm runes from high-yield enemy areas like Mohgwyn Palace or Stormhill.
Use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot to temporarily boost rune acquisition rates.
Avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent rune loss; always try to retrieve dropped runes if you die.
Prioritize upgrading a few main weapons rather than spreading resources across many.
Sell unwanted Elden Ring items to merchants for extra runes.
While Elden Ring runes are not the only requirement for upgrading weapons, they are a crucial part of the process. Without them, you can't pay the blacksmith to perform upgrades, even if you have all the right Elden Ring items. Properly managing your runes and prioritizing your upgrades can drastically improve your combat effectiveness and make your journey through the Lands Between much smoother. Whether you're a melee-focused warrior or a magic-wielding caster, understanding how runes fuel your progress is key to mastering the game.
